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'Some Cities' was recorded at some bizarre locations, including a monastery...

Doves have spoken exclusively to NME.COM about the recording of new album ’SOME CITIES’ – which was recorded at some bizarre locations, including a disused monastery.

NME.COM was the first website to hear the follow-up to 2002’s Number One smash ‘The Last Broadcast’, and we can confirm that it’s set to be one of the biggest British albums of 2005.

Speaking exclusively to NME.COM from rehearsals for the band’s forthcoming UK tour, singer and guitarist Jimi Goodwin said the album was recorded between Liverpool’s Parr Street Studios (where Coldplay have just completed their third album) and Fort Augustus in Loch Ness.

Speaking about their trip to Scotland, Goodwin said: “Just to be outside brought a nice flavour to it, it was a healthy [a][/a] for once. We were walking to (to the studio) in the morning off a leafy country lane from the hotel and walking back down for dinner. If you go to a residential studio, you might get out once a week to go and buy a packet of fags. It’s a stunning place to go and make a record. We could see Ben Nevis out of the studio window.”

The Highland flavour was a major influence on the direction of the album. The closing track, a huge ballad called ‘Ambition’ was recorded inside a Benedictine Monastery.

“It’s closed down now,” said Jimi. “I think the last monk was like 93. There was no new blood coming through – why would you? So they closed it down and sold it and typically it’s gonna become flats at some point. But we went in there, did the old whistle test, clapped our hands and there was just this cavernous sound. And we had this song that we hadn’t recorded that was very hushed. It just came together. We asked if we could do it and in three hours came out with the song. No time at all as opposed to labouring on it.”

‘Some Cities’ will be preceded on February 7 by a single, ‘Black And White Town’.

The tracklisting is:

‘Some Cities’

‘Black and White Town’

‘Almost Forgot Myself’

‘Snowdon’

‘The Storm’

‘Walk In Fire’

‘One Of These Days’

‘Someday Soon’

‘Shadows Of Salford’

‘Sky Starts Falling’

‘Ambition’

Wanna hear the single? You can listen to [url=]’Black And White Town’ now thanks to NME.COM!